By Karthik Ganesh:
The foundation for all happiness in life is health. Health is indeed the real wealth and is in principle a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being which is the quintessence of happiness and progress in all walks of life. A human being’s good state of health is pivotal in shaping his skill sets and determining his contribution to the society.
A nation’s progress in different fields is determined by the quality of its human resources. A human being can only contribute to the country’s development if he has the right state of health. Due to the fast paced lives that we lead today, importance to a strict exercise routine and a balanced diet has taken a backseat. A man’s health is usually judged by what he takes two at a time – pills or stairs. Sadly today, pills seem to be the order of the day.
India, despite being of the fastest growing economies, still has around 33% of its child population reeling under malnutrition and has around 25% of all the hungry people in the world according to a Global Hunger Index (GHI) study. Shockingly around 44% of children under the age of five are underweight and roughly 72% of infants and 52% of married women have anaemia. These facts are a valid testament to the degree of degeneration of importance given to healthcare in India.
The immediate need of the hour is to instil the importance of good health in each and every human being so as to ensure that they become the backbone of the nation’s growth rather than a liability. The government needs to reality check of its various health care schemes and needs to work upon them to increase their efficiency levels so as to guarantee that each citizen of the nation has the basic human right to health. NGO’s, schools and educational establishments need to work upon inculcating the importance of physical activities and a balanced diet for maintaining a good state of health at the grassroots levels. They also need to make sure that the students understand the benefits of staying fit which would in turn facilitate their contribution to the society.
In spite of the grim healthcare scenario in India, the Indian youth have stayed on as the glimmer of hope amidst the darkness. The high degree of awareness among the young people about staying healthy has helped them contribute effectively to the nation’s achievements. India features among one of the largest armies in terms of personnel, and youth form the crux of our defence forces. These bright and fresh minds have forced the different sections of the society to sit up and acknowledge the benefits of staying fit which has been instrumental in enabling them to achieve their dreams.
Let us hope that in the days to come we have a fit and healthy population which can contribute to the advancement of our country. Hence it is rightly said “When wealth is lost, nothing is lost; when health is lost, all is lost.”
This is an entry for the TRANSFORMNATION: To A Fitter India. You can create a fitter India and attend Asia’s largest fitness event by telling us your thoughts on a fitter India here.